Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Coraline
So not that long ago I wrote a blog titled 3-D: The Downfall of Cinema, in which, I stated that 3-D would ruin our film. Now, I have completely changed my mind but I have just seen a slight glimmer in the darkness. And that is Coraline. Coraline showed me that 3-D can be clever, subtle and really cool. Part of the reason the 3-D works is because its claymation and stop-motion animation. It doesn’t look like the people were cut out and moved slightly forward. And some of the tricks used at the end of the film were really good. Plus not of the generic 3-D gimmicks were used and if they were, I didn’t even notice.
So this is from the director of Nightmare Before Christmas and James and the Giant Peach. No not, Tim Burton (I had to prove to severe people that it was Henry Selick). Thus, you will know it is very dark and Coraline is no exception. But the thing is, its not too dark or weird. Yes button are sown into eyes and woman changes in to a giant evil witch but is not quit as disturbing as Nig
htmare. Maybe I just grew up and this is a completely frakked up, demented film…Its not for kids.
Coraline is a young blue haired girl who sound alot like Dakota Fanning. She just moved to an apartment complex far out in nowhere. Yes, sounds familiar? Of course. That’s why it works. Her parents are neglectful writers and she has no friends, until she finds a gateway into an alternative reality where everything’s nice. But everything is not as it seems. As you may guess in the end she learns to make do with her situation and love her parents.
As I said earlier, this actully is rather creepy. There was some times when I got really freaked out. So I’d say this is a 9 and up. I was reading where a lot of parents were upset about the girl saying ‘Oh my God’. Really? I bet you, you say it in your kids company all the time. As I said 9 and up.
Yeah, I was really surprised by this movie. It was really cool. And, *choke*, I like the 3-D.
Friday, February 20, 2009
Some Like It Hot
Yes, yes they do. Some Like It Hot is Billy Wilder's 1959 comedy classic staring Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon, and Marilyn Monroe. Boy do I love this film. Since I first saw it about a year ago it never losses its laughs. I don't think I will ever stop laughing either.
So Marilyn Monroe. Hehe. Wow. She was incredible. But if you look at her, she weights way more then most of today's models and actresses. That's not a bad thing, but its weird to thing how much we've changed since then. But as hot as she was you can't get past the fact that she was oh so very daft. There's stories of how she kept on screwing up her line. Even after Wilder wrote her lines on a blackboard behind the camera, Marilyn continued to mess up the lines! Despite all of this, she was a terrible loss.
As you probably know the plot centers around 2 band member (Tony and Jack) during the late 20's. After a gig at a funeral home they witness the (non-fictitious) Valentine's Day Massacre and must then leave Chicago ASAP. So then they come up with the brilliant idea of dressing up as women and joining an all girl band heading to Florida! Shenanigans ensue.
I have to give props to the guys who did the stuns in the very first scene. It was a frakin' amazing chase scene especially for 1958. Its like they actually did that crap and filmed it. Amazing.
This film was way ahead of its time. Its surprising some of the stuff they get away with. When Tony Curtis kisses Marilyn while still in drag would of been extremely racy way back then. There's some very strange innuendos from Jack Lemmon and his crazy man lover, Joe E. Brown. But hey, nobody's perfect. Yeah, that this single greatest last line ever for possibly the greatest comedy film ever.
This is one of those film that never ever gets old.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Wristcutters: A Love Story
This strange fantasy doesn't get totally rad from the start, oh no. It started out with a kid's (you guessed it) suicide over a broken heart. It was kinda hard for me to watch. Well this kid's name is Zia (girly name huh?), played by that kid from Almost Famous. We soon find out that after you commit suicide you find yourself in a very morbid purgatory. A Lot like your last life, just a little worse.
Soon after Zia gets used to this life he finds out that his ex-girlfriend has recently offed herself. With this news Zia and his Russian rocker friend, Eugene, embark on an journey. Along the way they pick up a female hitchhiker, Makil, who's "not supposed to he here". The actors give acceptable performances, which is great. That don't try and take over the story, which is the real star of the show.
The characters of this piece are perfectly defined. Writer/Director Goran Dukic doesn't miss a beat. your really care for them. Beyond the characters is the extraordinary setting. Not over the top. Not extremely boring. Just right. So please, check out Wristcutters. It'll pay off.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Slumdog Millionaire
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Son of Rambow
We begin to see the friendship between the two boys grow through the film and eventually breaks down toward the end of the film, like it does in order to create suspense, when Will makes some new friends and starts casting extras and a crew. One of his new friends is the most french kid ever. Ever.
I'll admit, I cried at the end of this. Its a very emotional but satisfying ending centering around Lee's family, but i really enjoyed it. Son of Rambow is a astonishingly funny British comedy. So yeah, i really like this heartwarming family drama along the lines of Stand by Me.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Disturbia
Monday, December 15, 2008
Fargo
Fargo is such a good Coen Brothers' film. I'd think it was one of the best. Fargo merges the serious Coen films such as No Country for Old Men with some of they're more comedic movie like The Big Lebowski.
Fargo is the true (or is it?) story of a bizarre kidnapping conspired by the victim's husband, non other than William H. Macy, in order to get some cash out of his father-in-law. The kidnappers are Coen regulars, Steve Buscemi and Peter Stormare. Stormare plays the quiet and subtle, but sadistic, Gaear Grimsrud. Buscemi, quite the opposite of Stormare, is the load and annoying Carl Showalter, creating an odd couple.
Along the way people began to interfere with Macy's plan. His father-in-law get the police in on it. Frances McDormand, Joel Coen's wife, is a pregnant cop in search of the kidnappers. She puts on one of the best voices in the film besides Macy.
So, I think this is one of the Coen's best. It has great comedy, good tension, although not a tense as No Country.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Donnie Darko
Monday, December 8, 2008
High and Low
High and Low is Akira Kurosawa's beautiful social commentary on Japanese business and culture. This film is a film of two halves really. Post-WWII Japan was a very hard time. A whole country if grief and sorrow after the war. With Films like Godzilla coming out, everyone needed a way to express their inward feelings.
ToshirĂ´ Mifune, a Kurosawa regular, plays a longtime shoemaker, Kingo Gondo (almost sounds like a Muppet). The movie opens with other executives of the powerful company paying Mifune a most unpleasant visit. They give a proposition. The other shareholders want to overthrow the 'Old Man', the company president and start making crap shoes so people will have to buy more often. Mifune is absolutely outraged at this and throws them out.
Very soon he gets a call from a mysterious stranger (or is it?) saying he has kidnapped his son, but to their surprise Toshiro's son is still there...but his friend isn't! Soon we get the cops involved and we go to work trying to save the little boy. But the kidnapper's ransom is just about all poor Mr. Gondo has left because he sold most of his money to buy out the shoe company!
So eventually in the second half Toshiro takes a backseat while we follow the detectives and try to find the evil monster who did this dirty deed. The film takes a very weird turn there. As brilliant as this film is, I don't really like the twist. Well no, I do like it, but it just goes somewhere completely unexpected. So as a 'whodunit' some people might not like it, but i just think it feels a little weird. That being said, High and Low is Kurosawa at his best and something that should not be missed.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Mrs.Doubtfire
Mrs. Doubtfire is one of those classic films I remember from when I was very young. I recently had the chance to see the film on HBO and record it. This is one of those films kids and adults can watch together. Children will love the physical gags and adults can get the more mature jokes and not worry about the kids because chances are, it'll go right over their heads.
Robin Williams is hysterical as Danial Hillard, a recent divorcee hating every minute of it. The struggling actor is, as he puts it, "addicted to his kids". And now he has 90 days to prove that he is a responsible adult and can hold a steady job and create a living environment with his kids, all while only seeing his kids for a couple hours on Saturdays.
Soon Danial finds out that his corporate ex-wife is looking for a nanny. With a little help from his gay brother and 'Aunt' Jack his is turned into a British nanny. Easily he is back into his family's life in the skin of Mrs Euphegenia Doutfire.
Whats is also so great about this film is the references to other great films with a similar nature such as Some Like It Hot, Kramer vs. Kramer, Sunset Blvd, and Psycho. Robin Williams' excellent and layered voices also add comic genus that kids and adults can both enjoy.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Let the Right One In
Let the Right One In is the Swedish vampire masterpiece from director Tomas Alfredson no one's been taking about. This film and book blew me away. I really can't praise it enough. First off, Let The Right One In isn't like the Twilight teen garbage. Now, it is a romance, a love story, but a very fresh one. It doesn't hang on the whole forbidden love stuff.
This is the story of 2 lonely 12 year olds set in a west Stockholm suburb. Oskar has almost no friends...until the girl next door moves in. Her name is Eli, played by the wonderful Lina Leandersson. She a bit weird though. She stinks, is extremely skinny, and doesn't even know what a Rubik's Cube is! But Oskar slowly falls in love with her. Eli give him this strength he never had.
Soon mysterious murders start to happen all around him. Eli had employed a elderly pedophile to do her dirty work. Everyone freaks out.
Eventually Oskar finds out his friend is a 200 year old vampire, and not only that, but a genderless vampire. But that's what makes this so different. Here is a kink in the wire that isn't found in any other vampire story.
That brings me to the difference between the book and the film. Both are perfect, but the book to film jump can never work out perfectly. Lindqvist's novel is 480 pages. The movie is 1 hour and 49 minutes. The book is deeply rooted in subplot and back story. And well, the movie doesn't have all that. It seems shallow and fleshed out compared to the book, but hey, that's the way it has to be. Still, the movie has a subtilness that the book doesn't, espesically in Eli's genderless issue.
All and all, see the film. And read the book if you want. Well, in the movie's defence, there stuff in the book that you just cant show in film. But hey, Let The Right One In is still one of the best films of 2008 and the greatest vampire film OR book ever (in my eyes).
Oh and by the way, they're already making an english remake.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Spirited Away
Miyazaki tells us the tale of Chihiro, a whiny little 10 year old girl, forced to move away from her friends into a unknown town. Along the way her parents decide to take a 'shortcut' through an abandoned theme park. Soon they stumble upon a hep of food in a mysterious bar. Through Chihiro's protest, her parents continue to eat and soon turn into a disgusting pigs! Even though this is a child's film it can be extremely gruesome and gross is some parts.
Sacred to death, Chihiro runs in fear encountering many ghost and spirits. Eventually she excepts that she is there to stay. Through guidance from the mysterious Haku, she gets a job at the local bath house for the spirits and begins a very Wizard of Oz-esque search for home and the place where you belong.
The characters are perfectly drawn (no pun intended) with emotion and life. Even the villain have sympathy.
The monsters at Disney brought us the American release a couple years later. Of course they had to toss in their two cents. As little the difference is, the American dialogue changes the end vastly. Don't get me wrong, watch the dubbed version if you want but it is different. And I don't really have a problem with the change.
Friday, November 14, 2008
2001: A Space Odyssey
Thursday, November 13, 2008
The Shining
Monday, November 10, 2008
There Will Be Blood
No way No Country For Old Men is better then this. Paul T. Anderson's masterpiece on capitalism, corruption, greed and religion is EPIC. This is also Daniel Day-Lewis's best. These crakin' Hollywood epics are few and far between nowadays.
This is one of those movies you should see at least 2 times. It takes a while to sink in. You can easily miss key plot point even if you do give it undivided attention. It tell the rise and fall an extremely monstrous oilman. It begins with a just one lone man digging from the black gold all by his lonesome. This man is Danial Plainview.
Now some of the things this guy does may upset you. It may anger you, but his is a very mean man. Its always hard to watch something that so closely follows a villain. Especially one that follow him so closely. We rarely leave his sight.
What gets the film going is Danial's discovery of oil under the Sunday Ranch. He and Paul Sunday, who is kind of a nutter himself, don't exactly get along. The music and cinematography perfectly reflect the the story. One event comes to mind about half way through.